Remember to turn off any indoor lights, which may give your image a yellow cast.

If you don’t have access to natural light, you can always mimic window light by using a single, diffused light source.

We recommend a $106 Lowel Ego tabletop light or an off-camera flash attached to a soft box.(Photo credit: Pexels)

Use a reflector or white card.

Shooting with a single, diffused light source creates a soft shadow to one side of your subject.

To brighten up the dark areas, place a reflector or white card on the shaded side of your image.

This will bounce the light back into the shadows and give your lighting a more even appearance.

If you don’t have a reflector or white card handy, you can improvise with aluminum foil or sheets of printer paper.(Photo credit: Lacey Johnson)

Shoot from different angles.

The more thoroughly you photograph an item, the more confidence a buyer will have about what they’re getting.

Make sure to shoot the top, bottom, inside (if it opens) and all sides of the object you’re selling.(Photo credit: Pixabay)

Get close.

Be sure to zoom in and show the fine details of the item you’re selling. The craftsmanship in a woodworked shelf, condition of hand-painted china or facets in a diamond ring can be seen only from close up.

If you have a DSLR, consider using a macro lens to take your product photography to the next level.

Minimize distractions.

Nothing shows off a beautiful product like a clean, uncluttered composition.

Take some extra time when setting up your shot to remove any distracting background elements.

You’ll look more professional if customers can’t see your messy living room in the background.(Photo credit: Pixabay)

Experiment with depth of field.

Try shooting with a variety of f-stops to see how it affects the depth of field in your photo.

A low f-stop will help blur the background and make your subject pop, but it’s also important to keep key elements in focus.

If you don’t have a camera that lets you control your settings, you can achieve a similar effect using Portrait mode on the iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X, which use two lenses to create a blurred-background effect.(Photo credit: Pixabay)

Show the item in use.

Showing an item in use helps buyers imagine owning it themselves.

If you’re selling an article of clothing, photograph an attractive friend wearing it.

If it’s a piece of furniture, incorporate it into a beautifully decorated room.

If you’re selling artwork, put the print inside a nice frame and shoot it hanging on a wall.

Just be careful not to damage the thing you’re selling in the process.(Photo credit: Pixabay)